AA Teams Announced

[roy]

www.avca.org/collegiate/menawards/03AAmenpr.asp

[the future]

AVCA Announces NCAA Men's Volleyball 2003 All-America Teams

COLORARO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 30, 2003) — The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announces its 13th annual AVCA All-America awards for men's volleyball. The awards presentation will occur at the NCAA Men's Volleyball National Championship Banquet at Khoury’s Restaurant in Long Beach, Calif., on Wednesday, April 30, 2003.

The 2003 AVCA All-America Teams have four players returning to the squads for at least their second season. The first-team is led by University of Hawai’i senior outside hitter Costas Theocharidis, who was selected the AVCA National Player of the Year for 2003 and is a four-time AVCA All-America First-Team selection. Pepperdine University senior middle blocker Brad Keenan, the 2002 AVCA National Player of the Year, was named to the AVCA All-America First-Team for the second consecutive year. Pepperdine’s Sean Rooney moved up from second team in 2002 to the AVCA All-America First-Team in 2003. Lewis University junior libero Ryan Stuntz repeats as an AVCA All-American.

Theocharidis and Keenan join a list of six men’s volleyball players to achieve AVCA All-America status all four years. Further, Theocharidis is the only men’s collegiate player to be named AVCA All-America First-Team four times. Other four time AVCA All-Americans are Ivan Contreras (Penn State, 1994-97), Matt Fuerbringer (Stanford, 1994-97), Adam Naeve (UCLA, 1997-99, 2001) and Brandon Taliafero (UCLA, 1997-2000).

The selections were made by the AVCA Men's Volleyball All-America Committee: chairperson Mark Pavlik (Penn State); Sean Byron (Rutgers-Newark); Jeff Campbell (Cal State-Northridge); Dave Deuser (Lewis); Tim Koth (Quincy); Ron Larsen (UC San Diego); Ivan Marquez (Concordia-N.Y.); Joel Walton (Ball State); and Joe Wortmann (Pacific).

AVCA First-Team All-AmericaPlayer Institution Pos Yr Ht Hometown
Tony Ching University of Hawai’i OH Sr. 6-2 Honolulu Hawai’i
Doug English Cal State Northridge Lib Jr. 6-2 Montrose Calif.
Brad Keenan #^@ Pepperdine University MB Sr. 6-8 Westminster Calif.
Gustavo Meyer Lewis University OH So. 6-4 Mexico City Mexico
Joe Nargi Cal State Northridge RS/Opp Sr. 6-7 Reseda Calif.
Jimmy Pelzel University of California Irvine RS/Opp Jr. 6-5 Lake Forest Calif.
Sean Rooney % Pepperdine University OH So 6-9 Wheaton Ill.
Chris Tamas University of the Pacific S Sr. 6-5 Santa Barbara Calif.
Costas Theocharidis #&* University of Hawai’i OH Sr. 6-3 Orestiada Greece
Delano Thomas University of Hawai’i MB So. 6-7 Sacramento Calif.

AVCA Second-Team All-AmericaPlayer Institution Pos Yr Ht Hometown
Jonathan Alleman Brigham Young University RS/Opp Jr. 6-3 Yorba Linda Calif.
Shane Davis Loyola University Chicago S Sr. 6-4 Denver Iowa
Carlos Guerra Penn State University OH Sr. 6-5 Tamaulipus Mexico
Keith Kowal Penn State University MB Jr. 6-5 Reading Pa.
Jose Martins Lewis University S Jr. 6-4 Campinas Brazil
Carlos Moreno Brigham Young University S So. 6-4 Sao Paulo Brazil
Jeff Ptak IPFW OH Sr. 6-5 Hamburg N.Y.
Justin Schnor Loyola University Chicago OH Sr. 6-4 Racine Wis.
Ryan Stuntz # Lewis University Lib Jr. 5-10 Redondo Beach Calif.
Fred Winters Pepperdine University OH Jr. 6-5 North Vancouver B.C.


AVCA Player of the Year: Costas Theocharidis, University of Hawai’i
AVCA Newcomer of the Year: Tyler Hildebrand, Long Beach State (Fr., S, 6-4, Mesa, Ariz.)

# indicates AVCA First-Team selection in 2002
% indicates AVCA Second-Team selection in 2002
& indicates AVCA First-Team selection in 2001
^ indicates AVCA Second-Team selection in 2001
* indicates AVCA First-Team selection in 2000
@ indicates AVCA Second-Team selection in 2000


A good crop of players. Never an easy decision. kudos to those coaches who are willing to serve on the board and make those decisions....many coaches want no part of it.
Strange not seeing a UCLA, USC or Standford kid on the list. When has that ever happened before? But this might also be the case as teams like Northridge and Long Beach will be at the top.

Congrats to all the guys.

[roy]

Another couple of interesting things to point out. There are no freshman on this years AA lists. Not a huge surprise since there was a lot of returning talent this past year.

What happened to Fabiano Barretto? Can any Lewis fans out there explain why he might have been left off. I remember him having a shot at being a 4 time AA.

It is completely weird not seeing any UCLA players on the list. Can't think of anyone who would have been put on the list from there, but its still weird.

Its a shame that Toppel couldn't be on here. He was a great player.

Final thought. 20 total selections, 7 from California schools. The second team is made up of the MIVA, Penn State (EIVA), and BYU with only Fred Winters as the only California school representative.

[hwy101]

I don't understand why Fabiano Barretto wasn't selected! He certainly looked great in the MIVA finals.

Doesn't the MPSF consider number of matches played when selecting their All-Selection teams? I asked becuase Toppel was seleced first team.

[banatee]

Where are all the Jeff Ptak supporters? Only 2nd team?

[kolohekeiki]

Wow...congratulations to Tony Ching and Delano Thomas for joining Costas as a first team all-american. I thought Delano had a really good chance but I didn't know that Tony would actually get that much respect from the committee.

He did an awesome job in the beginning of the season and faultered towards the middle but turned it on and was unstoppable at the end. Well congratulations Tony and Delano.

And off course congratulations to Costas for making history in becoming the first 4-time 1st team all-american.

Congratulations to all the players chosen all-american.

[the future]

Having the season that IPFW had (up and down) did not help, he also did not play in a couple matches and his team not advancing to the Finals of the MIVA did not help.

Remember alot of this has to do with the success of your team.

But if I was choosing teams on the playground I would take him over anyone on that list above him.

Also I too was surprised by Barretto not making it but if I remember correctly he really didn't start turning it on until the end of the year....(When it counts)

I might also give the nod to the BYU setter who I feel is outstanding.

[the future]

I don't think Costas was the first to win 1st team 4 years in a row.

Karch and pretty sure PSU's Chris Chase 6'10 MB won '86-89.

Check your records.

[banatee]

I totally agre e on Carlos Mareno. He's the best setter I've seen in years.

[the future]

Year Name Team
1986 Chris Chase First Team
1986 Javier Gaspar Second Team
1986 Stew Russell Honorable Mention
1987 Chris Chase First Team
1987 Javier Gaspar First Team
1988 Dave Bittner Honorable Mention
1988 Chris Chase First Team
1988 Javier Gaspar First Team
1988 Robert Pierce Honorable Mention
1989 Chris Chase Third Team
1989 Robert Pierce Third Team
1989 Guillo Silva Honorable Mention
1990 Guillo Silva Third Team
1991 Charlie Bertran Honorable Mention
1991 Scott Miller Third Team
1991 Jorge Perez Second Team
1992 Ramon Hernandez Third Team
1992 David Muir Second Team
1992 Jim Schall Honorable Mention
1993 Ramon Hernandez Third-Team
1994 Ivan Contreras Second Team
1994 Ramon Hernandez First Team
1994 Ed Josefoski Honorable Mention
1994 Carlos Ortiz Honorable Mention
1995 Ivan Contreras First Team
1995 Kevin Hourican Honorable Mention
1995 Ed Josefoski Second Team
1995 Carlos Ortiz First Team
1996 Ivan Contreras First Team
1996 Kevin Hourican Second Team
1997 Ivan Contreras First Team

I stand corrected. Chase and Contreras were 4 time All americans but only on the 1st team 3 x Each.
Contreras was 2nd team his first year
Chase was 3rd team his last year.

Check on the Karch thing though!

[ImOFm]

Here is a thought on Barreto,

The way that the coaches select the All American teams is the following. A coach rates its players from most important to least important on the team. From that selection and based on the teams success the other coaches pick the top players in the nation and ON THAT ORDER. So what might have happened is that Deuiser (coach from Lewis) thought that Fabiano Barreto could make all american on his own and listed Meyer and Martins ahead of him on a gamble to maybe have 2 first teamers...

But guess what, that did not work and Fabiano Barreto got Screwed....

[sweetieVBfan]

Guest-the said:

Year Name Team
1986 Chris Chase First Team
1986 Javier Gaspar Second Team
1986 Stew Russell Honorable Mention
1987 Chris Chase First Team
1987 Javier Gaspar First Team
1988 Dave Bittner Honorable Mention
1988 Chris Chase First Team
1988 Javier Gaspar First Team
1988 Robert Pierce Honorable Mention
1989 Chris Chase Third Team
1989 Robert Pierce Third Team
1989 Guillo Silva Honorable Mention
1990 Guillo Silva Third Team
1991 Charlie Bertran Honorable Mention
1991 Scott Miller Third Team
1991 Jorge Perez Second Team
1992 Ramon Hernandez Third Team
1992 David Muir Second Team
1992 Jim Schall Honorable Mention
1993 Ramon Hernandez Third-Team
1994 Ivan Contreras Second Team
1994 Ramon Hernandez First Team
1994 Ed Josefoski Honorable Mention
1994 Carlos Ortiz Honorable Mention
1995 Ivan Contreras First Team
1995 Kevin Hourican Honorable Mention
1995 Ed Josefoski Second Team
1995 Carlos Ortiz First Team
1996 Ivan Contreras First Team
1996 Kevin Hourican Second Team
1997 Ivan Contreras First Team

I stand corrected. Chase and Contreras were 4 time All americans but only on the 1st team 3 x Each.
Contreras was 2nd team his first year
Chase was 3rd team his last year.

Check on the Karch thing though!

no really, costas is the ONLY four-time first-team all-american. it's been checked. really, i promise.

wow. go tony! i never expected that. and i'm sure he didn't either. good for him. costas was no surprise, delano was a bit of a surprise. i wish toppel could join costas and keenan.

anyone notice that costas, keenan, rooney and stuntz were the only repeat all-americans? all new guys. this is good!

20 selections, 14 americans. good job boys. of the other 6, one canadian (winters), one grecian (costas, of course), meyer of lewis and guerra of byu the mexicans and moreno of byu and martins of lewis the brazilians.

[007]

The UH Players on the 1st team, and they didn't even finish in the top two of their conference. Did they underperform a little? Kind of reminds me of the LB State team of 3 years ago!!! Hmmmmmmm.

[afvbking10]

I think that Rooney got screwed in the POY voting. I think the fact that he was the statistical leader on the top team all year long, and he did have a strong supporting cast, but so did Costas, and Hawaii had such expectation. I think that with Rooney's team finishing much better that he would have gotten the nod, but it didnt turn out to be that way. I think that it could have been some politics like with the women's award this past year. Costas and Logan Tom are both great players dont get me wrong, but I just dont think that they were the best pick for the awards. And I think the 3 Hawaii first teamers is garbage. They were expected to do great things this year, and were disappointing compared to all of the hype. All the key players back from a national championship team, and there was a let down. And what is with Stuntz on the second team, I thought he was the best libero in the college game, but how did he get snubbed? Is it because he plays in the MIVA??

[fluke]

3 first teamers..one being the player of the year (and 4 X 1st) .....and last years Freshman of the year setter



One wonders how you could loose with that.

...with 6 losses....and a semi final loss in the Conference playoffs.

Underachievers....or simply not that good.